Becoming a Frontline Distributor
You don't have to own dogs and cats to build a successful career in the pet product market, but it helps. Consider the crowded field of pesticide control products made to keep fleas and ticks at bay. You've probably seen TV ads for Frontline, a major player in the pet health industry. Visit the company's website to see the diversity of their products but don't be surprised when you read this notice: Only veterinarians and vet-affiliated companies can carry Frontline products. Join the family by taking all necessary steps.
Instructions
- 1 Prove to the folks at Frontline that you run an established business catering to pet parents with a sales track record, existing relationships with pet food, toy and health product companies and other animal-related products. Frontline products are carried by retail chains, small pet stores and on pet-product websites, so whether you sell directly or retail, you must prove to Merial, Frontine's parent company, that you're a legitimate enterprise.
2 Browse stores and websites of other distributors carrying Frontline products so you're familiar with its product mix and marketing tactics. No need to set up a spreadsheet to compare pricing because there's not much of a difference from store to store, though web-based business don't have retail markups to worry about. That said, identify something about each that's distinguished, free shipping, frequent buyer discount, etc., so you can complete.
3 Ask a veterinarian to be your pet health adviser in return for advertising their practice in your store or on your site. Since it's Merial's policy to sell Frontline products only to distributors proving a relationship with a veterinarian, you'll need this alliance to join the Merial family of distributors. Choose a vet in your area to help boost her business in return for the endorsement that qualifies you to distribute the brand.
4 Contact Merial using its toll-free contact number. Ask to be put in touch with someone on the company sales and marketing staff to discuss becoming a Frontline distributor. Merial may ask you to provide information about the viability of your business, so send it to your website or give the company information about your shop so it can see for itself that your business caters to pet parents and is positioned to add Frontline products to its mix.
5 Order product directly from Merial once you establish your distributorship to avoid scams that could compromise your relationship with the Frontline brand and harm the pets of your customers. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, counterfeit pesticides, imported from abroad "and packaged in cartons designed to look like legitimately registered pesticides available ... under the trade name Frontline," manage to make their way into the pet-care market. You worked hard to establish your relationship. Keep it that way by protecting the brand and your own reputation by avoiding deals that are too good to be true.
